Glossary

BEA_HOME directory

Root directory into which Oracle software products are installed, represented by the environment variable BEA_HOME.

Note that starting from the Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 release, MW_HOME is the new term for BEA_HOME (default is C:\Oracle\Middleware), and WL_HOME is the term used for WebLogic Server home (default is C:\Oracle\Middleware\wlserver_version.

A patch profile the user can create in addition to the default patch profile. The use of a custom patch profile provides a way to scope a set of patches to a subset of the servers that run on a specific Oracle product installation; for example, an individual domain, cluster, or server. Custom patch profiles are described in Chapter 5, "Activating Applied Patches in Your Installations and Applications."

dependency violated

Conflict reported when you attempt to remove a patch upon which an existing patch depends.

Patch that has been superseded or deprecated by My Oracle Support. Smart Update automatically notifies you if any invalidated patches are detected in your patch download directory. If you have applied an invalidated patch, Smart Update highlights it in among the entries in your patch profile. You can click on the patch icon to get information about replacing an invalidated patch, when a replacement is available.

maintenance pack

A maintenance pack is an update to an existing release that includes solutions to known problems and other product enhancements. A maintenance pack is not a replacement for an installation of the Oracle product, but a package of changes and additions to it.

Note that you can no longer use Smart Update to apply or remove maintenance packs, version upgrades, or service packs.

maintenance snapshot

Text file you can generate using Smart Update that contains details about the current maintenance level of a target installation for a specific patch profile.

module patch

Patches that update common modules and product-specific modules.

mutually exclusive

Conflict that is reported when a patch you have selected to download or apply cannot coexist with an existing patch for the target installation. The identifier of the existing patch causing the conflict is provided.

Middleware Home (MW_HOME) directory

Root directory into which Oracle software products are installed, represented by the environment variable MW_HOME. Starting from the Oracle Fusion Middleware 11gR1 release, MW_HOME is the new term for BEA_HOME.

native artifact file

Operating system-specific file, which may be a binary file or other resource.

out of sequence

Patch conflict reported when you are attempting to download or apply multiple patches in the wrong sequence. When this conflict is reported, the proper sequence for the selected patches is provided.

patch manifest JAR

File that references patch JARs that exist in the in the MW_HOME\patch_wls1032\\patch_jars directory

passcode

Alphanumeric string provided by Oracle Support that you use, with a patch identifier, to obtain a private patch. Private patches are no longer available for Smart Update.

patch

Between maintenance packs, patches are issued to provide bug fixes for individual components. A patch does not provide product enhancements.

patch backup manifest

File, stored in the MW_HOME\patch_wls1032\backup directory, that contains files that have been replaced as a result of having applied a patch. This directory holds files required to restore an earlier patch maintenance level on your system.

patch conflict

Compatibility problem that Smart Update has detected between the patch you have selected to download, apply, or remove and the other patches that have been applied to the target installation.

patch container

File that you download from Oracle Support that is kept in the patch download directory. Contains patch content and metadata about that patch that is used for validation.

patch JAR file

JAR file containing classes to be inserted into a classpath; for example, in the WebLogic system classpath, or the classpath of an application deployed on WebLogic Server. Patch JAR files are placed in the patch_jars subdirectory of the installation-level patch directory. For more information about patch JAR files, see Structure of the Installation-Level Patch Directories.

patch profile

Set of patches that have been installed in a specific Oracle product installation and that serves as a mechanism for Smart Update to validate patches being applied.

patch set

Set of multiple patches made available for download and installation as a single entity. Patch sets enforce the sequence in which member patches are applied to the target installation; however, individual patches within a set may be selectively removed.

prerequisite not met

Conflict that may be reported when downloading or applying a patch. This conflict occurs when you are attempting to download or apply a patch that requires other patches be installed first. Identifiers of prerequisite patches are displayed when this conflict is reported.

private patch

Patch that My Oracle Support makes available to individual users based on their support requirements. Private patches are no longer available for Smart Update.

publicly available patch

A patch that My Oracle Support makes available anyone with a valid support contract. From My Oracle Support, you can view and obtain detailed information about publicly available patches for a specific Oracle product that is installed on your system.

support ID

ID of the user account you obtain when you register with Oracle.

target installation

The currently selected Oracle product installation in Target Installation panel of Smart Update.

validation

The process of determining if a patch has a conflict with other patches that are applied to the target installation.